Author 




TiUe 



^ 






Imprint 




STATE OF VERMONT 

Department of Fisheries and Game 



A Chapter on the 

Artificial Propagation 

of the Brook Trout 



BY 



JOHN W. TITCOMB 



Revised and amplified 
February, 1915 




STATE OF VERMONT 

Department of Fisheries and Game 



A Chapter on the 

Artificial Propagation 

of the Brook Trout 



BY 



JOHN W. TITCOMB 



Revised and amplified 
February, 1915 



^\ 






By transfei 

JUL 2 mb 



J 4' 







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Brook trout eggs and fry as they appear n)i the halching trays in the water 
ivhile the eggs are in process of hatching. 

As the fry hatch they drop througft the wires of the tray to tJie bottom of the 
hatching trough. 



^- 



K 



FISH CULTURE. 

Fish culture in the usual sense, consists in the conservation 
of fish eggs which would otherwise be wasted and it is made possible 
by the knowledge that the process in nature termed fertilization 
can be improved upon by manipulation. The fertilization of 
fish eggs may be compared to that of flowers. 

The egg is to the fish what the seed is to the plant. The seed 
of the plant is not complete until it has been united with the pollen. 
Bees and other insects when in search of honey shake off the pollen 
and carry it from one flower to another, thus l^ringing it into con- 
tact with the seed, or the wind may l^e the agent. The milt of the 
fish corresponds to the pollen of the flowers and it is carried to the 
eggs through the agency of the water after both eggs and milt 
have been expelled by the parent fish. The fish culturist takes 
advantage of this knowledge by bringing the eggs and milt into 
direct contact, thus effecting almost perfect fertilization before 
water is applied. 

There are some variations in the methods of spawntaking 
according to species, but in general the operation consists in ex- 
pelling the eggs by a gentle pressure of the thumb and forefinger 
along the walls of the abdomen, the strokes being continued until 
all ripe eggs have been secured. The fish is usually grasped near 
the head, and to hold it firmly may be pressed against the body of 
the spawntaker. The receptacle into which the eggs are expelled 
is usually a 6-ciuart milk pan which has l)een dipped into the water 
and then emptied, thus leaving it slightly moist. The miik is 
obtained by the same process as the eggs, and applied to the latter 
in the pan used to receive them from the fish. 

Heavy eggs, such as those of the trouts, are incubated in 
wire-bottom trays set in troughs of running water. The mesh of 
the wire is of size to suit t he size of egg and to permit the young 
fish as they hatch to drop through into the trough. The troughs 
are usually plain open boxes varying in length from 12 to 16 feet 
and in depth from 4 to 12 inches, to suit conditions. An arbitrary 
width of 14 inches, inside measure, has been adopted, uniformity 
in width being desirable for economy in interior equipment. 



For brook trout eggs (Salvelimis fontinalis) the State depends 
largely upon commercial trout raisers, eyed eggs being obtained 
from them at lower cost than it is possible to collect from wild fish 
at most places or from brood fish maintained only for their eggs. 
The eggs are annually purchased from four to six dealers. For 
the purpose of making a just comparison as to cjuality and final 
cost of fish produced from each purchased lot the eggs received 
from each dealer are accounted for until their product is ready for 
distribution. 

'^Eggs also are obtained from trout inhabiting natural lakes or 
artificial lakes on private preserves. During September and Octo- 
ber principally and continuing into November, the fish ascend the 
streams in large schools on each rise of water. The fish culturist 
has only to provide suitable racks and traps in anticipation of the 
period of migration, constructing them in the streams that have 
been dammed to make the lakes. The fish are dipped from the trap 
into adjacent pens above the rack, the pens being kept covered to 
guard against the escape of the fish in case of a possible flood. 

A field station of this character is sometimes managed by one 
man, who constructs the trap, rack, and pens, cares for and strips 
the fish, and then cares for the eggs, which are incubated until eyed, 
then are packed and shipped to the central station. 

After the fish have been manipulated for their eggs and milt 
they are returned to the water with but a trivial loss if any at all. 

Thus some clubs and individuals annually replenish their 
stock of fish by the maintenance of hatcheries in connection with 
their ponds. 

^ Titcomb, J. W. : Wild trout spawn; methods of collection and utility. 
Proceedings of the American Fisheries Society for 1897, p. 73-86. 



THE BEST AND CHEAPEST METHOD OF 
STOCKING PRIVATE WATERS. 

The scope of this article is to show how individuals may 
comply with the law and stock their waters at a minimum expense 
by procuring the eggs of trout, which can be bought at a low figure, 
and hatching them on their own premises. 

It is hoped also that some may be interested in stocking pul)lic 
waters and to all such the Commission will furnish eggs free of 
charge. 

The Financial Question. 

Fry delivered in the months of April and May in small lots, 
cost at the rate of $2 . 50 to $3 . 00 per thousand at commercial 
hatcheries, most of which are located in Massachusetts and Rhode 
Island. The fish are either shipped by express in patent cans or 
sent in ordinary cans accompanied by a messenger. 

10,000 fry @ $3 . 00 per thousand, $30 . 00 

Expressage, estimated, 5.00 

Cost of fry at nearest R. R. Station, $35.00 

If a messenger accompanies the fish, which is the customary 
method, add $2.50 per day for his services; add his car fare and 
subsistence en route and the bill will be at least $12 . 00 more. The 
cost of fry will then amount to from $35 . 00 to $50 . 00 delivered at 
the railroad station. 

Eggs can be bought for 50c. per thousand and expressage. 
Estimating the expressage at $1 . 50 and the total cost of 10,000 
eggs is $6. 50. In large lots, eggs sold as low as 35c. per thousand 
last season. It may be possible to obtain the eggs of the United 
States Fish Commission, in which case the only expense would be 
expressage. At the lowest estimate on the cost of 10,000 fry and 
the highest estimate on eggs, there is a balance of $23.50 in favor 
of the eggs. The eggs must now be hatched which means that you 
must equip yourself with a miniature hatchery and then give the 



eggs care and attention a short time daily for two or three months. 
Two advantages of purchasing eggs, aside from the financial 
question, are that the product can l^e planted at your leisure, a 
few at a time, and the fish will be fresh and strong. 

The cost of fingerlings is so much greater than that of fry 
that I have not brought them into my comparison with fry and 
eggs, although the results obtained by planting them are most 
satisfactory. 




Case of eggs just opened. A single tray of eggs on the right, stacked trays 
of eggs in centre; ice box to the left. 

In this article, I shall only give the details for procuring and 
hatching trout eggs, receiving the eggs in the form of "eyed ova" 
and conducting the work of propagation until the fry have hatched 
and are ready to be fed or to be planted. 

With intelligent supervision in the preparation of the hatchery 
any boy or girl can and many will enjoy taking care of the eggs and 
fry until they are ready to take food. 

The subject of rearing to fingerlings belongs to another 
chapter, when the fish require more water, more critical care and at 
a season when farm work demands more attention. It will be 
touched upon only in hrieL 



Water Supply. 

This is the most important question to be considered both as 
to quantity and quaUty. If a hatchery is to be constructed, the 
water supply is the first consideration and the location of the 
hatchery is dependent upon it. As this article contemplates the 
necessity for only a small floor space to hatch enough fish to stock 
one stream or a portion of it, room for the hatchery may be found 
in the barn, barn cellar, cellar of house or some other available 
space protected from the inclemency of the weather. Assuming 
that there is floor space somewhere about your buildings, can you 
run your present water supply into it and have you sufficient flow 
of water to spare some of it for fish cultural purposes? A consid- 
eration of the following requisites will enable you to decide : First, 
the supply may be from a spring, a brook, a pond or a lake. Fish 
culturists differ as to which is preferable, but conditions vary in 
different localities and climates. In Vermont, very few brooks 
are free from sediment at all seasons. Springs, if tapped at their 
sources, are practically free from sediment and give an even tem- 
perature. Perhaps is would be well to make it the first condition 
that the water must be free from sediment. That is, it must not 
become roilly during the frequent thaws in winter, or the heavy 
rains of spring time. Second, it should be of an even temperature 
throughout the period of incubation. This last is not essential, 
but preferable. In New England, the normal temperature of 
spring water at the source of springs is 46 to 48 degrees and does 
not vary from that amount summer or winter more than five 
degrees. If allowed to flow along the surface until it forms into a 
brook, the temperature will of course be reduced in winter and 
raised in summer, but will be comparatively even. Trout eggs can 
be hatched in any temperature of spring water, or in a temperature 
varying from 33 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. I prefer a temperature 
of from 36 to 44 degrees during the period of incubation, rising to 60 
or 65 degrees for the little fishes as warm weather approaches. 
Ordinarily, the water supply for a house and stable is suitable for 
this work if a sufficient volume of it can be spared to flow steadily, 
24 hours a clay, for every day the hatchery is in operation. A city 
water supply can usually be regarded as suitable. Trout cannot 
be hatched successfully unless the eggs have a constant flow of 
water. It cannot be diverted temporarily for creamery or domestic 

9 



purposes without danger of weakening or smothering the eggs. 
The quantity of water depends upon the number of eggs to be hatch- 
ed or the number of hatching troughs to be used. The minimum 
amount of water allowable for one trough whether to contain 10,000 
eggs or double that number, should not be less than two gallons 
per minute. The simplest way of ascertaining whether there is a 
sufficient flow of water is to catch the flow in a pail of known 
measure and see how long it takes to fill the pail. If you have a 
spring of unknown volume, put in a temporary spout with earth 
packed around the intake end, long enough to conduct the water 
to a point where it can be caught and measured. Do not attempt 
to run the smallest hatchery on less than two gallons of water per 
minute. 

It may be best to construct a small building for a hatchery 
near the source of supply and save piping the water. For an 
isolated building spring water has several advantages ; it is not 
liable to freeze either at the intake or in the hatchery; artificial 
heat for the hatchery is unnecessary except for personal comfort in 
working over the troughs. There is one disadvantage in using 
spring water; the fry may develop so rapidly that they will be ready 
for distribution l^efore the waters to be stocked are free from 
freshets. 

Brook water, a considerable distance from the springs which 
are its source, may give trouble by freezing at the intake or still 
more in the troughs, unless the hatchery is artificially heated. 

Water from lakes or ponds, if taken several feet below the 
surface, gives an even and favoral)le temperature for hatching eggs 
slowly. Do not take water from a bog or stagnant pond. Eggs 
and fry need air which is taken through the medium of clear, 
sparkling water. 

The water may be conducted in pipes of lead, iron or wood, 
the same which are used in conducting water to your house for 
domestic purposes. It is preferable to use pipe two or three times 
larger than is absolutely necessary to give the requisite volume of 
water and the following statement may be used as a guide as to the 
size of pipe required: — "A straight cylindrical pipe, one inch in 
diameter, inclined one foot in ten, will convey about eleven gallons 
of water per minute. The same pipe, with an inclination of one 
foot in tw(Mity, will convey eight gallons per minute; with an 

10 



inclination of one in fifty, five gallons per minute; with an inclina- 
tion of one in one thousand, one gallon per minute. A two inch 
pipe will convey about 5| times as much water as a one inch pipe; 
a three inch pipe nearly fifteen times as much." Angles or bends 
in the pipe, will materially reduce the capacity. A square conduit, 
made of boards or planks well jointed, does as well as anything else 
to conduct water, and if spring water, it may be laid on the surface 
of the ground, reducing the temperature slightly to its atlvantage. 
A perforatetl zinc or copper strainer with much more surface than 
the size of the conduit is preferable for the intake, but an ordinary 
packing box perforated with small holes and connected with the 
conduit will do. Any spring should be thoroughly cleaned out be- 
fore the water is conducted to a hatchery and cleaned before each 
hatching season. It should also be covered sufficiently to exclude 
falling leavejs and del)ris of any kind. The intake should be ex- 
amined occasionally to guard against its becoming clogged. 

While not essential, it is desirable to have the hatching room 
well lighted to avoid the necessity of using artificial light in working 
over the eggs or fry. No artificial heat is necessary' in a hatchery 
supplied with spring water, but if the water gets below 36 degrees 
in temperature, artificial heat may be necessary to prevent its 
freezing over the surface in the troughs. There is no objection to 
artificial heat so far as the eggs are concerned. 

In selecting a site for a hatchery, place it far enough from 
the intake to secure a fall of five or more feet to the floor of the 
building. The object of this is to raise the troughs about two feet 
from the floor for convenience in working over them. Bear in 
mind the heavy snows of winter and high waters, that the building 
may not be inundated. 

Hatchery Building. 

A simple house may be built at small expense with a plain shed 
roof. Use rough boards, and cover joints with 3 inch by 1 inch 
battens. A suitable building paper will of course make it less 
susceptible to changes in the weather. The roof should be made 
water tight^ There should be a drain underneath the building to 
conduct the water from the waste pipes. The outside should be 
well drained around the bottom. A building 16 ft. by 9 ft. will 
accommodate a pair of troughs 12 ft. long placed side by side in the 
center and one additional trough against the walls on each side. 

11 




J^iff. 3. 



Figure 1. A A, Hatching troughs. B, Supply trough. C, Spigot, a, 
Tail screen, b, Aerating screen, c, Water gate. d, Supply pipe. e, Surplus 
water overftow. f, Waste pipe water trough. g g, Waste pipe to hatching 
troughs, h, Slash board. 

Figure 2. Sections of troughs, A A, .set tandem. Figure 3. Water gate. 



Equipment. 

Figure 1 shows the arrangement of troughs in pairs, side by 
side. Figure 2 shows how the troughs could be arranged so that 
the second trough would utilize the same water as the first one. 
In large hatcheries the troughs are frequently set in pairs, each 
pair emptying into a second pair to economize water and space. 
These troughs can be made of any good sound lumber; pine is 
preferable. If there is to be ]:)ut one or two troughs, the supply 
trough, B, can be made out of half a kerosene barrel, l^urned out, 

12 



with spigots inserted the same as in supply trough, figure 1. The 
supply trough should be arranged with an overflow to carry off 
surplus water as in an ordinary watering trough or by a dam, e, 
figure 1, the upper edge of which is one inch below the top of the 
supply trough. To regulate the supply of water flowing into the 
hatching troughs a simple arrangement is shown in the water gate, 
c, and figure 3. Make the waste pipe, f, larger than the supply 
pipe. If this waste pipe is extended through the bottom of the 
supply trough to within an inch of the top it will take the place of 
the dam, e. The plan shown in figure 1 is designed to show a 
more elaborate supply trough which can be extended indefinitely, 
until it embraces a series of hatching troughs. Make the supply 
trough six inches longer than the combined widths of the hatching 
troughs, allowing four feet for aisle space between each pair of 
troughs. If only one pair of hatching troughs are to be set up 
side by side, the combined width of which is 30 inches, make the 
supply trough 36 inches long. If a second set of troughs are to be 
set up the supply trough should be 9 ft. 6 inches over all. It should 
be 10 or 12 inches wide and not less than 10 inches deep. 

Bore the spigot holes 6 inches from the bottom of the trough 
and see that the centers of all spigot holes are in line. The supply 
trough should be set perfectly level and then if the spigot holes 
have been bored to a line, a uniform flow may be expected from 
each spigot. 

Two Methods of Making Water Tight Joints. 

To secure a water tight joint in the troughs, I suggest one of 
the methods shown in figures 4 and 5. The best but more ex- 
pensive method is by gaining the pieces together as shown in figure 
4. If no mill is accessible with suitable machinery for doing the 
work, the method shown in figures 5 is recommended. The stock 
having been cut to the exact dimensions required to build the 
troughs, the edges are to be grooved by depressing the wood instead 
of having it cut out. A tool can be made for this purpose out of a 
piece of heavy sheet iron | to 3-16 of an inch thick and 6 inches 
long, then rounding one edge with a file. To depress the groove, 
drive the round edge of the grooving tool into the central line of 
the edges about i inch deep. Having made all the grooves, put 
the trough together, inserting into the grooves, a string of round 

13 



wicking, dipped in lead paint. The wicking can be dispensed 
with by getting out the stock about | inch wider and then groove 
as above. Plane off the grooved edge I inch making it flush 
with the depressed portion. If there are any leaky joints, the de- 
pressed groove will swell and stop them. The method of jointing 
the supply trough and hatching troughs is the same. The specifi- 
cations contemplate a pair of troughs made of clear pine stock for 



^*v 





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Fnitift'^ 4 0)1(1 .». 

a permanent hatchery. Length of hatching troughs 12 to 16 feet. 
Sides to be made out of 1^ inch stock planed on both sides. The 
bottom and ends can be made of 1| inch stock but I prefer 2 inch 
stock. Depth of troughs inside, 5 to 8 inches. If the fish are to 
be planted before they must be fed artificially, a depth of five 
inches is sufficient. The width of the troughs inside should be 
the same for all, and for economy in cutting tray cloth, make it 
exactly 14 inches. 

Make the hole for waste pipe, g, figure 1, large enough to in- 
sert a 1| inch pipe. Put this 2 inches from the lower end of the 
trough. Two inches from the outlet pipe or four inches from the 

14 



lower end of the trough, nail two cleats vertically on each side, in 
which to slide the slash board or dam, h, figures 1 and 2. Eight 
inches from the lower end of the trough, put in two more pairs of 
cleats in which to slide the tail screen, a. 

(Saw kerfs in the sides of the trough may be used instead of 
cleats in which the tail screen may slide. In this case the tail 
screen will not require a frame, but must be made one half inch 
wider than the inside width of the trough.) 

Allow 1 1-8 inches space betweeD the cleats. Make the cleats 
out of t inches square stock. The slash board, h, is 13f inches 
long, 3 inches wide and 1 inch thick. Two additional cleats are 
required at the head of the trough, far enough l)elow the edge to 
support the aerating screen, b, so that it will be flush with the top 
of the trough. If the troughs are arranged to set tandem as shown 
in figure 2, they are built and equipped exactly as described above 
except that in the head trough a plug is required for the waste pipe, 
h, and an outlet hole through the end of the trough is necessary. 
If a trough 5 in. in depth, cut out a square in the end of the trough, 
4 inches wide and 3 inches deep. Make a tin lip to convey the 
water from the first trough to the second one. A sheet of tin 
from a tomato can will do for this purpose. Use lead paint under 
the tin before tacking it on. If the trough is more than 6 inches 
deep inside, I advise cutting out a hole in the end instead of 
notching down from the top. 

I have specified wooden troughs because they can be home 
made. The dimensions as to width may be varied anywhere 
from 10 inches to 18 inches inside, to suit conditions. An inside 
width of 14 inches is the standard adopted by the United States 
Bureau of Fisheries. The length of the trough may be anywhere 
from 4 feet to 16 feet, but 12 feet is ordinarily the standard. 

To have the bottoms run lengthwise in one solid piece is 
desirable. It is often possible to secure cypress lumber of proper 
width more easily than pine. 

The man who is experimenting with a home made plant can 
use matched spruce and nail the bottom of the trough crosswise. 
It will not make so smooth a working surface inside but it will 
serve the purpose if a water tight box is thus secured. 

At prevaiUng prices for good pine or cypress lumber, he who 
would buy his troughs or have them made may find it economy 

15 






to go to a manufacturer of maple sugar evaporators and sap 
tanks and order galvanized sheet iron troughs of dimensions 
herein specified. One great advantage of these is that they are sure 
to be water-tight, an important consideration if to be set up 
where it is desirable to keep the floor dry. 

If sheet iron troughs are adopted, ears of the same material 
may be soldered to sides where saw kerfs or cleats have been 
suggested for the wooden trough. 

Make two screens like figure 8, 13f inches by the depth of 
the trough inside. If the trough is 8 inches deep inside, make the 
frames of the screens 8 inches x 13f inches outside measure. 
For the upright pieces of frames, use 1 inch square stock and for 

the top and bottom pieces, use f inch 
X 1 inch stock, nailing the thin sides of 
the top and bottom pieces to the end 
pieces as shown in figure 8. Cover the 
frames with No. 9 zinc, perforated 
with holes, 324 to the square inch, 
.033 diameter. A frame 13f by 8 
inches, requires a piece of perforated 

324 hole^: .033 diameter giuC 7^ iuchcS by 12f iuchcS. 

While the perforated metal is more expensive than wire cloth 
it is far more durable and is more easily cleaned. If on account of 
expense, wire cloth is to be used for these two screens, get material 
described as "24 by 24, number 24 galvanized wire cloth." 

For equipping a large hatchery it would be best to obtain for 
the aeration screens a metal with coarser perforations than for the 
tail screen, but in fitting up only a few troughs it will be cheaper to 
make the two screens alike. To the one used as a tail screen, tack 
two thicknesses of flannel or several thicknesses of cotton cloth on 
the edge which comes in contact with the bottom of the trough. 
This insures against escape of the alevins under the screen. If 
you wedge the screen on the back side as shown in figure 6 at A A, 
pressing it firmly down at the same time, you will secure a tight 
fit in the trough. 

The object of the aerating screen is to spread and aerate the 
water and break its fall on to the fish in the trough. It also acts 
as a cover for that portion of the trough where it is placed. 

Make the hatching trays, figure 7, 13| inches wide and 18 
inches long, outside measure. (The length of trays may be govern- 

16 



ed by the length of troughs and with a view to economy in space.) 
Use for sides, pine, | inch by | inch and for ends, | inch by | inch. 
Mortise together as shown in figure 7. Cover with "galvanized 
wire cloth, 2x9 mesh. No. 24-23 double warp." For a tray 13| 
by 18, cut the cloth 13 by 17i. 

The wire cloth or perforated metals may be purchasc^d of the 
Clinton Wire Cloth Co., Clinton, Mass. 

The local hardware dealer, will be glad to secure prices for 
you from this or other sources. 




Figured. Section of hatching trough, showing method of wedging a hatch- 
ing tray and tail screen in place. 

Figure 7. Hatching tray. Figure 8. Tail and aerating screens. 

In ordering perforated metal, give the size of pieces required, 
in order that the stock sent you can be cut economically. 

Use 3 oz. copper tacks to fasten perforated metal or wire cloth 
on to frames. If not easily obtainable, use 3 oz. tinned carpet 
tacks. Most all of the stock required in making trays and other 
equipment can be gotten out of the waste lumber from the troughs. 

Painting. 

Paint troughs inside, and all trays and other equipment which 
comes in contact with water, with two coats of turpentine asphalt- 
um paint. The outsides of the troughs may be painted with 
turpentine asphaltum or with lead paint. 

17 



Tools. 

Having equipped a hatchery connected with a constant and 
suitable water supply, you are ready for the eggs, but there are 
some hatchery tools which will be convenient, most of which you 
can make yourself. Figures 9 and 10 show two forms of egg 
pickers with which to pick out dead eggs. Figure 9 is made by 
taking a piece of galvanized sheet iron about 22 gauge and cutting 



Ti^. 9. 



^Iff.JO. 




jriff.J6. 



^i:ff.l3. 



JF'iff.J^^. ^^ff'^^- 





Figures 9 and 10, Egg Pickers. Figures 11 and 12, Scarf Nets. Figure 13, 
Feather Brush. Figure 14, Side view of Spigot. Figure 1.5, End view of Spigot. 
Figure 16, Tin Hood for Spigot. Figure 17, Wedge. 



18 



it into a strip about 12 inches long, 1 to U inches wide at the 
centre and tapering to about | in. wide at each end. Bring the 
two ends together, as shown in the Mgure. Figure 10 is a more 
elaborate form of picker made by cutting the tweezers out of a 
sohd piece of clear pine about 6 or 7 inches long and attaching to 
them some fine wires with rings at the ends about | inch in dia- 
meter. A more simple picker can be cut out by trimming down 
a clothes pin or cutting plain wooden tweezers out of a piece of 
pine. Nearly every fish culturist makes a picker to suit himself. 

Figures 11 and 12 are scarf nets used for picking up eggs 
or fry and for cleaning troughs, etc. The rectangular net should 
be about 10 inches wide by 9 or 10 inches deep. It is made by 
bending a wire into the form shown, fastening the wire to a light 
handle and covering ^\ith mosquito netting or bobinet. The 
bobinet is preferable and costs from 45 to 7oc. per yard, 51 inches 
wide. The side of the wire frame opposite the handle should first 
be covered with some coarse material to which the bobinet can 
be fastened. This is because the bobinet would wear out too 
quickly if sewed directly to the bottom of the frame. The trian- 
gular net, figure 12, is much smaller than the other and does not 
require so heavy a wire frame; either 4 or 5 inches to- a side is a 
good dimension to follow. Otherwise, it is made by the same 
method as the larger one. It is well to paint the wire before cover- 
ing it to prevent rusting.- Figure 13 shows a feather brush made 
by slitting the end of a piece of wood with a fine saw, inserting 
tail feathers of a crow and fastening in place with a small stove 
bolt. The handle is about 6 inches long by ^ in. thick, cut in the 
form shown. In addition to the implements shown, it is well to 
have some extra feathers either trom the wings of a barnyard fowl 
or the tail feathers of a crow. A rectangular pan 14 in. by 20 in. 
and four inches deep, bound at the edge with wire, is a very handy 
implement in transferring eggs from packing trays to hatching 
trays and in many other ways. The sides and one end of the pan 
are to be perpendicular to the bottom, the other end flares like 
the side of an ordinary milk-pan . 

The ordinary No. 2 bench brush, more commonly called in 
the kitchen a dust brush, and a palmetto scrub brush are convenient 
tools which can be purchased at the stores. 

The spigot, figures 14, 15 and 16 is made as follows: Make 
a round plug of clear pine, 2^ inches in diameter at one end and 

19 



tapering to If inches at the other, 6 inches long. Bore an inch 
hole through it horizontally. Notch as shown in figure 14. Cut 
a piece of tin into the form shown in figure 16, the upper portion to 
fit the end of the spigot as notched, the lower edge about 4 inches 
wide. The tin is tacked to the end of the plug, producing the effect 
shown at C, figure I. The tin hood can be bent forward or back 
to direct the flow of water on to the centre of the aeration screen. 
A wooden cider spigot with an inch hole would serve the same 
purpose. 

If one is willing to go to a little more expense, a one-inch 
molasses spigot is an improvement over the homemade wooden one 
herein specified. If troughs are made of galvanized iron, metal 
spigots in the supply trough would be almost a necessity. 

Figure 17 shows a wedge. Make it out of | in. square stock 
or dimensions approaching that size and from 4 to 5 inches long. 
You will need two wedges for the tail screen, two for the slash 
board and two for each hatching tray. The method of wedging 
the hatching tray so as to hold it in place above the bottom of the 
trough is shown in figure 6, A. By this method, the tray can be 
suspended at any height in the trough and is used most frequently 
where roily water is encountered. As water has been selected 
which is not going to be roily, I will describe another method of 
setting the hatching trays in the trough. Drive two 4d wire 
finish nails into the opposite corners of one end of the tray and two 
6d nails into the opposite corners of the other end. Drive them 
in just enough to be firm and so that all four legs thus made will 
rest firmly on the bottom of the trough. When the tray is set in 
the trough, put the shorter legs towards the head of it and wedge 
the tray firmly into place on one or both sides. All these prepara- 
tions should be made before the eggs are received. I have written 
quite in detail to prepare you for the reception of the eggs for 
it is these details which must be looked after in fish hatching and 
much more might be said. 

How TO Obtain Eggs. 

These may be purchased from commercial fish culturists of 
whom there are many in New England. Eggs are shipped after 
they have been "eyed" and they are then called "eyed ova" to 
distinguish them from green eggs or freshly taken eggs which are 

20 



not transportable until they have arrived at a stage of develop- 
ment when the eye spots are visable through the shell of tlie eggs. 
Eyed trout ova can be obtained from November to February and 
are shipped across the continent or even to European countries 
without damage. The eyed eggs will come ])y express packed in 
a box of moss. The eggs themselves will be upon flannel trays 
covered with moss. Between the moss and the eggs is mosquito 
netting. Pass a dairy thermometer into the moss covering the 




Tray of trout eggs tshomug how the cover of moss and netting is rolled away 
when unpacking the eggs. 

eggs and see if it varies much in temperature from the water into 
w^iich the eggs are to be laid clown. If there is a variation of 
more than three or four degrees between the temperature of the 
eggs and the water into which they are to be introduced, drench 
them a tew times with water in order to gradually change their 
temperature to that of the w^ater. Do not l^e in too much of a 
hurry about this w^ork. When satisfied that there is little varia- 
tion between the temperature of the eggs and the w^ater, roll back 
the mosquito netting with the moss in it and you have a clean 
tray of eggs. Hold this over the large square pan containing 

21 



hatchery water and then pour out gradually from a dipper into 
the tray enough water to gradually wash the eggs from the tray 
to the pan. Repeat this operation with the several trays until all 
are emptied into the pan. There will be more or less dirt and 
floating particles in the water with the eggs. Pour off some of 
the water — all that will run off without taking eggs with it. Fill 
the pan with water and repeat the process of pouring off water 
until the eggs are comparatively clean. Then, while the egg 
trays are floating on the surface of the water in the trough, pour 
out a portion of the eggs on to them. It will be well for you to 
have an assistant to hold the tray until you have become expe- 
rienced. Shake the tray gently to distribute the eggs singly over 
it. Where large shipments are unpacked, it is desirable to estab- 
lish a measure for each tray and then pour from the pan to the 
measure and then to the tray. A graduated tin dipper will do 
for a measure. Having filled the trays with eggs, lower each 
slowly into the water until its legs rest firmly on the bottom of 
the trough; then, while holding the tray in place with one hand, 
wedge it firmly with the other. The eggs can now be left until 
the following day, when, if there are any dead ones, they will 
have turned white and must be picked off. This can be done with 
your pickers without disturbing the other eggs on the tray. From 
now on until the eggs begin to hatch, I would advise picking out 
any dead eggs daily, although once in two or three days may do. 
If the eggs are neglected, a fungus growth will appear on the dead 
ones and quickly envelop the others. Observe the water supply 
every time you enter the hatchery. See that it is constant and 
that the eggs are not becoming covered with sediment. If there 
is sufficient water to flow more than two gallons per minute to a 
trough, flow as much as can be run without causing a current 
strong enough to disturb the eggs on the trays. Even if the eggs 
at the head of the trough are washed a little, it will do no harm 
during the latter stages of development. There will, of course, 
be no sediment because you have selected a water supply that is 
free from it, but, if through some unforeseen accident the eggs 
become coated with sediment to such an extent that you cannot 
distinguish the eye spots, they should be cleaned by pouring them 
ofT into the large square pan and rinsing them by the same process 
as when they were unpacked. A quick turn of the tray over the 
pan of water will empty it without the loss of an egg. Wash the 

22 



trays thoroughly before retiirnhi<i; them to the troughs and l)rush 
out all sediment in the troughs. Use a cloth or soft Inrush to 
wash trays as the as]ihaltum paint is easily scratched off. 




Di'vdopment of Trout Eggs ond Fry. 

When the fry begin to hatch, they burst the shells of the 
eggs and emerge tail first, wriggle themselves out and pass down 
through the wire meshes to the bottom of the trough. As soon 
as all the eggs have hatched, the trays can be removed. The 
egg shells must be feathered out to the lower end of the trough 
and finally brushed out over the tail screen, care being taken not 
to injure or l)rush out fry at the same time. Cripples, deformed 
ones and dead from unknown causes will be picked from the 
trough daily by use of the small scarf net and pickers. The 
eggs develop first into fry with an abnormally large stomach, 
called the umbiHcal sac, which is their "bread basket". This 
sac is gradually absorljed until the fry appear like the one illus- 
trated with almost no sac at all. At this period or soon after, 
it begins to rise to the surface of the water for food and snaps at 
floating particles. Unless you intend to feed the fry and rear 

23 



"fingerlings,"! advise you to plant them when you see the first 
one develop any symptoms of hunger, or just before the sac is en- 
tirely absorbed. You will then have carried the eggs and fry 
through the most trying period of their existence and brought them 
to a suita])Ie age to plant with fairly good results. 

Transportation and Planting of Fry. 

If the waters to be stocked are near the hatchery, it may be 
well to plant only a few each day, choosing the most active and 
farthest developed ones. They can be transferred from trough 
to pail or can on the scarf net without injury. At this stage, a 




Some of the freaks which are occasionally found after the hatch. They 
seldom live after the yolk sac is absorbed. 



third scarf net made like either of the others except that the net- 
ting should bag a trifle is useful. If attempting to stock a jjond 
and there are any tributary streams or any springs flowing into 
it, plant at least a part near the springs. In stocking streams, 

24 



the same care in distributing fish should be deserved, viz. : that 
the fry should he well scattered and placed in spring rivulets 
which do not dry up. 

If the fish are to be transported a considerable distance, put 
them in clean milk cans holding about ten gallons of water for 
every three thousantl fry. Five thousand can be carried but the 
less crowding the better. When the cans are not kept in motion 
on the cars or in the wagon, aerate the water constantly by dipping 
it from the can and then pouring it in again from a height of a 
foot or so from the top of the can. Should there be a variation 
of more than six or eight degrees in temperature between the water 
in the cans and the water in which the fry are to be planted, dip 
water from the can and from the stream or lake into the can until 
the temperature of water in the can is brought to that of the 
stream or lake. Do not, under any conditions, leave the can 
standing in the sun or allow it to sit still more than five minutes 
unattended. Use ice to keep the temperature at least as low as 
the temperature of the hatching water supply. 

Conclusion. 

The cost of two hatching troughs, with all necessary equip- 
ment for hatching 80,000 to 100,000 eggs should not exceed $15 
or $20. The expense of constructing a hatchery building if that 
is necessary or of conducting a water supply to the hatchery is not 
included in this statement. If you wish to make only a temporary 
experiment, construct a trough of clear spruce boards. Use a 
barrel for a supply trough. Melt a couple of tomato cans and 
perforate one sheet of tin thus obtained for an aeration screen and 
cut up the other to make a lip to conduct water from the barrel 
to the hatching trough. Buy some good material for a tail screen 
and see that it fits tightly in place. You must also buy the wire 
cloth for hatching trays. Paint all equipment as carefully as if 
following the specifications for pine wood troughs of thick stock, 
using asphaltum paint. 

40,000 eggs can be hatched with an equipment that ought 
not to cost more than four or five dollars after the water and 
protection from the weather have been provided for. There will, 
of course, be some loss in eggs and fry before they are planted. 
If the water is all right and the eggs are vigorous ones, from 80 
percent to 95 percent of them should be hatched to plant as fry. 

25 



Measuring and Counting Fish Eggs and Fry. 

Inimediately after water hardening, the careful handhng of 
fish eggs is not injurious. During this period their numbers 
may be very definitely ascertained by the use of any receptacle 
suitable for a measure, the capacity of the receptacle having 
first been ascertained by counting the whole or a fractional 
part of its contents. 

For eggs of the trouts an apothecary's graduate or the ordin- 
ary graduated quart or pint measure is commonly used. As 
many eggs as possible are poured into the measure, nearly all 
of the water being forced out over the rim 

If preferable the eggs may not be measured until a more 
convenient time, it being possible from long familiarity with the 
capacity of the apparatus in actual use to estimate quite accurate- 
ly the number of eggs on hand at any time. Providing they are 
spread uniformly, the number of eggs to a square inch is a fairly 
accurate basis for ascertaining how many eggs are on each tray. 
Some fish culturists prefer to ascertain the actual ninnber of eggs 
on hand by weighing them after having determined by actual 
count the basis for such calculations. 

These methods are especially applicable to the heavy eggs of 
the Salmonidae, and may be employed not only after water 
hardening but also at any stage of incubation after the eggs 
are eyed up to a day or so before hatching, at which last stage 
a measurement closely approximates the number of fry that will 
be in the subsequent hatch. 

Note. — The varying usage in the classification of yoimg fish as to size 
has caused such confusion and difficulty that uniform definitions have been 
adopted as follows: 

Fry — fish up to the time the yolk sac is absorbed and feeding begins. 

Adcanced fry — fish from the end of the fry period until they have reached 
a length of 1 inch. 

Finc/crlitigs — fish between the length of 1 inch and the yearling stage, the 
various sizes to be designated as follows: No. 1, a fish 1 inch in length and up 
to 2 inches; no. 2, a fish 2 inches in length and up to 3 inches; no. 3, a fish 
3 inches in length and up to 4 inches, etc. 

Yearlings — fish that are one year old, but less than 2 years old from the 
date of hatching; these may be designated no. 1. no. 2, no. 3, etc., after the 
plan prescribed for fingerlings. 

26 



Sac-absorbed fry and advanced fry of tlie fronts, landlocketl 
salmon, etc., may be measured in the same manner as are the eggs 
in an apothecary's graduate or other container, straight vertical 
sides being preferable to the flaring sides of the ordinary glass 
graduate. The ordinary graduated half-pint or pint cup used 
by cooks is a very convenient measure. The fry are pour(>d in 
until the measure is overflowing with them to the exclusion of 
practically all the water, the filling and emptying being done 
quickly. Actual count of the number in one measure estab- 
lishes the basis for computation. The growth during this period 
being very rapid, however, a new unit must be determined daily. 

The numbers of fingerlings are ascertained by actual count 
of each lot as dipped a few at a time from trough to transporta- 
tion can or other receptacle by means of a small hand net of 
tightly stretched bobinet. 

Rearing Methods. 

The amateur fish culturist will rarely attempt to feed and 
rear the fry to fingerlings. To do so requires much more care 
and often is attended with failure of accomplishment. To give 
full information on this subject would require another chapter. 
Briefly stated, the young fish may be confined for the first four 
or five months, or until 3 to 5 inches in length, in the hatching 
troughs or in a battery of outdoor rearing troughs of dimensions 
and in other respects quite similar to the indoor troughs, about 12 
feet long by 14 inches wide. Care must be taken, how^ever, to 
guard against overcrowding as the alevins increase in growth. The 
actual number of young fish of a given age which can be suc- 
cessfully carried is dependent upon the quality of the water 
supply, temperature being an important factor, not only as 
to the number for a given space, but also as to their rapidity in 
growth. 

At one of the hatcheries with which I am familiar, with a 
supply of 10 gallons of water per minute at a temperature of 
about 50 , it is customary to hatch and hold in each trough 
50,000 sac fry, 25,000 advanced fry, 12,500 If-inch fingerlings, 
4,000 U-inch fingerlings, 2,000 If-inch fingerlings, and 1,000 
fish 2 to 3 inches in length. Much larger numbers are often 

27 



carried under similar conditions witliout serious loss, though 
often with the result that the fish prove weak in transportation. 
As soon as the fry swim up looking for food they are fed 
several times a day an emulsion of finely ground liver. This 
diet is continued as the young fish develop, with the difference 
that the liver is less finely ground and is given less frequently — 




Four trout, each about 1^ inches in length. The little fish eat their iceaker 
brethren, necessitating frequent sorting, some growing more rapidly than others 
of si/nilar age. 

two or three times a day being sufficient when the fish have at- 
tained a length of 2 or 3 inches. The kind of liver used varies; 
that of sheep, beeves, and hogs being extensively used, and the 
relative value of each being in the order named. The food for 
the larger fish consists of the liver, lungs, and hearts of the animals 
already mentioned. 

The emulsion is produced by running the liver through 
the finest obtainal)le plate of an Enterprise meat chopper, care 
being taken to first skin the liver. For the first feedings it is 
often desirable to run the liver through the chopper a second time. 

It has souK^times been found advantageous from an economi- 
cal standpoint to mix the animal food, after it has been ground, 
with a mush made In' cooking wheat middlings or shorts, to which 

28 



a moderate amount of salt is usually added. After the mush 
has been thoroughly cooled the animal matter, uncooked, is sth-red 
into it in th(^ following pro])ortions: For fingerlings, 1 part animal 
matter and 2 jiarts mush; for adults, 1 part animal matter and 
3 parts mush. Twenty gallons of boiling wat(T and 50 pounds 
of wheat middlings will make about 2(2 pounds of mush. The 
amatuer with a small number of fish will hardly care to go to 
this trouble, however, nor will he find it economy to do so. 

The food is administered by spreading it on the surface of 
the water by the use of a paddle or spoon. A little water is stirred 
•into the ground liver before it is administered 

An Important Precaution. 

Whenever the caretaker enters a hatchery he should first 
make sure there is a suitable flow of water to each trough con- 
taining fish or eggs. Second, examine the outer ends of the 
troughs to see if any fish are escaping. These two precautions 
should be a part of the daily routine. 

Fish Diseases. 

Absolute cleanliness is usually essential to success in carrying 
large numbers of fishes under artificial conditions in limited 
areas for various reasons because filth is often the cause of disease 
among fishes. The effects of fungus — saprolegnia — are usually 
overcome by giving the affected fishes salt Isaths at frequent 
intervals. Occasionally trout fry have been attacked by hydra 
in such numbers as to cause a large loss. A remedy for this 
trouble consists in placing the fish in a 25% vinegar solution. 
Whenever there is an unusual mortality among the fish or eggs 
the amateur should consult a fish culturist. 

Artificial Ponds. 

To all who contemplate the construction of ponds a few 
words of advice if heeded, may save money. 

The area wliich may be fiowed for a trout pond is dependent 
upon the volume of the water supply in times of drouth. A 
spring or brook when damned and thus spread over a considerable 
area is affected by increased evaporation with a resultant higher 
temperature in warm weather. 

29 



Never dam a ravine subject to freshets with the expectation 
of thus creating a pond in which fish will voluntarily remain 
or with the hopes that a screen will be effective at times of high 
water — when most needed. 

Always construct at the lowest level of the dam a waste 
drain of sufficient size to draw the water within a reasonable 
length of time. It may never be used but in most cases will be 
found at some time very convenient. 

Finally, if much outlay is contemplated, consult an experi- 
enced fish culturist before beginning constructions. 




Shade trees and overhanging shrubs should be encouraged 
around the shores of ponds and along the banks of brooks as well. 
!^Water plants in the ponds will come naturally in most cases but 
in some instances should be supplied by the transfer of a few roots 
from other waters. 




/^^^^L^a^^^^-^-^. 



'^ Titcomb, .1. \V.: Aqiuitic plants in pond culture. Bureau of Fisheries 
Document 643. 1909. 

30 



CAPITAl. CITY PRESS, MONTPELIER 




002 866 190 3 



